Electric railway-signal



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. W,.T. WATERS. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNA-L.No. 314,760. Patented Mar. 31, 1885.

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INVENTQR:

ATTORNEYS.

STATES UNiTn PATENT Titien,

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,760, dated Marenai, 1885.

Application fileddanuary 27, 1853. Renewed October 12, 1883. (No model.)

Tou/,ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. WATERS, of Atlanta, in the county ofFulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Electric Railway-Signals, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

Reference is toibe had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures. Figure l, Sheetl, representsaseries of posts on each side of' a railroad-track and the wiresconnecting the said posts. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of apartof the same and illustrating the electrical connection. Fig. 3, Sheet l,is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a front elevation,partlyin section, of one of the posts and its various appliances,thelamp-connection wires being omitted. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is asideelevation of thesame, showing the lamp-connection wires. Fig. 6, Sheet2, is aA sectional plan view of one ofthe signalpostsraken throughtheline mx, Fig. 4. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, is a front elevation, partly insection, of a post for special signals and its appliances. Fig. 8, Sheet2. is a side elevation ot' the contact-bar connected with the train.Fig. 9, Sheet 2, is a plan view of the same.

The object of this invention is to display, automatically,danger-signals both in advance and in rear of and at any desireddistance from a moving` railway-train,to prevent the too near approachto the said train of another train from eitherdirection, and alsotodisplay special danger-signals at crossings and other dangerousplaces, to announce the approach of a train in advance of its arrival.

The invention consists in electric railwaysignals constructed with aseries of insulated contact-bars projecting from the train, to engagewith pairs of insulated contact-arms projecting from posts at the sideof the track, provided with wire conductors extending forward andrearward, and connected With electro-magnets secured to other posts, andhaving pvivoted armatures provided with hooked ends and springs toengage with signals pivoted to the said posts, so that, the circuitbeing closed by the passing train, a current of electricity may be sentto the said electro-magnets, which will withdraw their armatures fromthe said signals and allow them to swing down from a vertical to ahorizontal position and to be swung from ahorizontal to a verticalposition. The signals are provided with stops to engage with cranksconnected by a rod with one arm of an elbow-lever, the other arm otwhich is connected with a sliding bar held forward by a spring andprovided with inclined end bars t0 be struck by an arm projecting fromthev At suitable points, practically the same dis-V v tance from thecenter of the track, are located two pairs of conducting-arms, C D and CD', which are placed at different heights above the level of the track;or, if convenient, they may be attached directly to the posts B, uponwhich they may be placed a short distance apart, so that one batterywill be sufficient to energize the whole series successively; or, ifmore convenient, they may loe placed vertically, as shown in thcdrawings, in which case a separate battery and contact-bar would benecessary for each set of contact-arms. The

.arms O D and C D are insulated from each other and from the posts B,and each upper arm C is made elastic and longer than the lower arm D, asshown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,

land may terminate iu a metallic contact point or brush.

From each upper arm G a wire, E, leads to the upper arm G ofthe nextforward post B, as shown in Fig. 2, or to the upper arm G of the secondforward post B, as indicated in Fig. 1, or to the upper arm of the thirdforward post B, according to the distance in front IOO and rear of thetrain at which it is desired to display the advance and rear signals.

To each lower arm D is attached the end of a wire, F, the other end ofwhich is connected with the end of the coil of a magnet, G, at-

'tached to the post B, the other end of the said coil being groundedthrough wire H. In thesame manner each lower arm D' is connected by awire, F', with the coil of a magnet, G', attached to the same post asthe magnet G. The other end of the coil o f the magnet G' is groundedthrough the wire H', which may be a branch of the ground-wire I-I or aseparate wire, as may be most convenient. The armature I of the magnet Gis pivoted to the post B, or a base-plate thereon, and held away fromthe said magnet G, when not affected by an electric current, by aspring, J. Upon the face ot' the armature I is formed a hook adapted toengage with anotch, K, in the rounded base of an advance signal, L,which, when the said armature is not affected by its magnet G, willholdthe said advance signal, L, in an upright position out of sight.` Whenthe signal L is released by the withdrawal of the hooked armatnre Ibythe attraction of the magnet G, the said signal L is drawn down into ahorizontal position and displayed by a weight, M, or equivalent `SpringConnected with it. The `Signal L iS stepped in a horizontal position by'a suitable stop or pin, N, or other stop attached to the post B,against which strikesa pin, O, attached toior formed upon the edge ofthe rounded base of the said signal L. The armature I' of the magnet G'is held laway from thesaid -magnet,when unaiected by an electriccurrent, byaspring, J', and its hooked upper end engages with ka notch,K', in the rounded base of the rear signal, L', so as to hold the ,saidsignal =displayed or in a horizontal position. When the armature I' iswithdrawn from the base cf the sig.- nal L by the attraction of themagnet G', the said signal, by its own weight, swings down into aVertical position within the post B and out of sight.

In the case of a crossing, P, or other dangerous locality, a post, .B;adjacent to or at any desired distance from the said crossing, isprovided with a third pair cf contacts, G2 D2, placed below or beyondthe narms C' D', and having the end of a wire, Q, connected'with theupper arm, G2. The ,other end ,of the wire Q is connected with the end.of the coil of a magnet, G2, attached, t0 a Special post, B', placednear the crossing P,'and provided with a hooked armature, 12,'held awayfrom the poles o f the magnet G2 by a spring, J2. The hook of thearmature I2 engages with a notch, K2, in the pivoted end of a specialsignal, L2, pivoted to the special post B', so as to hold the signal L2in an upright position within the said post B' and out of sight. AWhenthe armature I2 is withdrawn freni the signal L2 by the attraction ofthe magnet G2, the signal L2 is drawn down into a horizontal positionand displayed by a weight, M', or .equivalent spring, attached to it.The signal L2 is stopped in a horizontal position by the edge of itspivoted end striking against a stop, It, attached to the post B'. Theother end of the coil of the magnet G2 is grounded through the wire H2.

Upon the engine S, or any desired car of the train, are placed threeseparate batteries, T T T2, the negative poles of which are connected bywires U U' U2 with the running-gear of the engine, which, in connectionwith the rails of' the track A, forms the ground-connection.

As before stated, one battery may be used instead of several, itdepending entirely upon the preferred method of arranging the contacts CD, C' D', G2 D2.

The positive poles of the batteries T T' T2 are connected, respectively,by wires V V' V2, with projecting arms W W'W2, attached to and insulatedfrom the side of the engine S, in such positions as to come in contactwith the lower sides of the projecting ends cf the upper arms, C C C2,and raise the said arms out of contact with the lower arms, D D' D12.With this construction, when the engine S connes opposite each post B,the conductingarms W W' come in contact with and raise the arms C G'. Aseach arm C' is raised ,the electric current lfrom the lbattery T' willpass through the wire V', the arms W' C', and the wire E, to ,the postB, with which the other end of said wire E is-connected, where' it willpass through the MUIS `C D, the wire F, the coil of the'magnet G, andthe wire II, to the grvonnd, completing the circuit. As the electriccurrent passes throngh the coil of the niagnet G the said magnetattracts the armature I, withdrawing it from the advance signal, L, andallowing the said signal todrop into a horizontal position. At the sametime the contact `of the conducting-arms G causes .an electric currentfrom battery T to pass through the wire V, the arms W C, and the wire E,back to the post B, with which lthe other end of the said wire isconnected, where the electric current passes through the arms C' D',

IOO

the wire F', themagnet G', and the wire I I'. to

the ground, completing the circuit. As the electric current passesthrough the magnet G' the said magnet G' attracts the armature I',withdrawing it from the signal L', and allowing the said signal to swing.down into the recess in its post B and out of sight, so that as thetrain passes .each post B a signal is displayed at the proper distancein advance of 'the train, and a signal is lowered at the proper distancein the rear rof the train.

As the -engine S passes each post provided with a third pair ofcontact-arms, C2 D2, the arm W2 cornes in .contact with and raises thearm C2, and an electric current is sent freni the battery T2, throughthe wire V2, the arms W2 C2, the wire Q, the coil of' the magnet G2, andthe wire H2, to the gronnd, completing the circuit. As the electriccurrent passes IIO through the coil of the magnet G2 the said magnetattracts the armature I2, withdrawing it from the signal L2, allowingthe said signal t0 swing down into a horizontal position, so as to beseen. The ends of the conductingarms W W' W2 are bent downward, so thatthey will readily pass beneath the ends of the arms C C C2, and the saidarms W W W2 are made of such a length as to maintain a contact with thearms C C C2 long enough to allow the `electric current to do its work.

It is obvious that the arms W W' W2 might be replaced by one arm ofsimilar construction, or two of the series ot' arms and batteries`,shown might be dispensed with, providing the vContacts G C' G2 werearranged in horizontal series instead of vertically.

To the journals of the signals L L are attached short cranks X X', theends of which are pivoted to a rod, Y. The lower end ofthe rod Y ispivoted to the end of thelong arm of an elbow-lever, Z, which is pivotedat its angle to a support at the base of the post B, and toits short armis pivoted the end of a bar, a. The bar a slides in supports b betweenthe post B and the track A, and is held forward,or toward the track A,by a spiral spring, c, placed upon it between the said supports b. lTheouter end of the spring c rests against the outer or rear support, b,and its inner or forward end rests against a pin, collar, or other stopattached to or formed upon the said bar a.

To the forward end of the sliding bar a are hinged the adjacent ends oftwo bars, d, which incline outward, and have slots in their outer endsto receive pins e, attached to the blocks f, or other supports, uponwhich the said slotted ends of the bars d rest.

To the cow-catcher or some other part of the engine or train is attachedan arm, g, which projects downward into such a posit-ion that it willstrike the inclined bar d, pushing back the inclined bars d and thesliding bar a, and operatingl the elbow-lever Z, and causing the saidlever to draw the rod Y downward and opA crate the cranks X X'. As theengine reaches each post B the advance signal, L, is displayed and therear signal, L', is concealed, and the pins h h', attached to the saidsignals, rest against the under side of the cranks X X', so that as thesaid cranks are drawn downward they will turn the advance signal, L, upinto the recess in the post B, concealing it, and will turn the rearsignal, L', up into a horizontal position, displaying it. The rearsignal, L', remains displayed until lowered by the action of theelectric current, as hereinbefore described.

The special signal L2 is provided with a sliding bar, a', havingsupports b' and spring c', an elbow-lever, Z', and a rod, Y', and has acrank, X2, attached to its journal, and a pin, h2, attached to it insuch a position as to rest against the lower side of the crank X2 whenthe said signal is displayed, so that the signal L2 will be raised intoits recess in the post by mechanical action as the engine passes thesaid special post B', in the same manner as the signal L is raised froma horizontal to a v vertical position, and the signal L from a verticalto a horizontal position, as hereinbefore described.

To each si gnal-post B are attached two pairs of elastic insulatedconductingarms, 'Z j fij', which incline toward each other, so that whenleft free their outer ends will be in electrical contact. The pairs ofarinstl j and i' j' are placed in such positions that the signals L L',when turned from vertical to horizontal positions, will pass between thesaid arms and separate them, interrupting the electric circuit. Theparts ofthe signals L L" that come in contact with the armsij @"j'should be suitably insulated. At a terminal or other station is placedan ordinary dynamo-electric machine, from which a wire, 7c, leads alongthe posts B. At each post B the wire k is divided, one end beingconnected with the arm Z' ot' one pair of arms, and the other end beingconnected with the arm j' of the other pair. The arm j ofthe iirst pairis connected with the arm 'Z' of the second pair by the wire la. Fromthe arm t' a wire, Z, passes to :an electric lamp, m, from which a wire,Z', passes to the arm i', and from `the arm/Z' a wire, n, passes to theelectric lamp o, from which a wire, a', passes to the arm j', as shownin Fig. 5. The lamp m should correspond in color with the advancesignal, L, and thelamp o should correspond in color with the -rearsignal, L', so that the said lamps will be readily distinguishable atnight. XVith this construction, when the signals L L' are withdrawn andthe arms i j and ij' are in contact, an electric current passing alongthe wire 7g will pass through the arms i j, along the wire k', throughthe arms i'j', and thence to and along the line-wire 7c. When theadvance signal, L, is displayed and the rear signal, L', withdrawn, thecurrent of4 electricity passing along the line-wire lc cannot passthrough the arms 13j, as the said armsare separated by the signal L, andwill pass along the wire Z, through thelamp m, alongthe wire Z', throughthe arms i'j', to and along the linewire It. When the advance signal. L,is withdrawn and the rear signal, L', is displayed, as shown in Fig. 5,the electric current passing through the line-wire 7c passes through thearms Z j, through thewire lc' to the arm i', through the wire n to thelamp o, and from the said lamp through the wire n' to the arm j', andthence on through theline-wire k. By this arrangement the proper lampwill be thrown into the electric circuit by the movement into sight ofthe corresponding day-signal, and vice versa.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In an electric railway signaling system, aseries of separate signaling-circuits extending from point to pointalong the entire road, signal-carrying posts located at the termini ofeach independent circuit and provided with visual signals for protectinga moving train in both front and rear, electro-magnetic locking devicesadapted to be alternately operated by electric impulses transmitted fromthe train being signaled, and mechanical means, oper- IOO IIO

ated by the moving train, whereby dropped signals are reset,substantially as set forth.

2. An electric railway signaling system comprising a series of separatesignaling-circuits extending from point to point along the entire road,signal-carrying posts located at the termini of each independentlinecircuit and provided with visual signals, means for displaying andhousing the same, consisting in electro magnetic latching devices, andmeans, carried by the train being signaled, for transmitting a currentof electricity from one post to the ones with which it may be connectedin front and rear, and thereby releasing an advance signal in front anda rear signal inits rear, and mechanical means. operated by the movingtrain, for automatically raising both signals on the post being passed,housing the advance and displaying the rear signals, said rear signalsbeing then in position to be housed by the electro-magnetic devices whenthe next post is passed. leaving the line clear and the signals readytobe set by the next succeeding train.

3. An automatic system ofrailway-signals, comprising a series ofseparate 'signal-circuits extending from point to point along theentire'road, each circuit being connected th rough pairs ofnormally-closed contact-points so located with reference to the trackthat any pair may be momentarily separated by a passing train, andmeans, substantially as described,- whereby electro-magneticsignal-controlling devices located at the termini of said independentcircuits may be energized and operated by a current transmitted througheither pair of contact-points, in a predetermined direction. by thepassing train, as set forth.

4. Electric railway-signals constructed substantially as herein shownand described, and consisting of a source of electricity carried uponatrain and connected by wires with insulated contact-bars projectingtherefrom, pairs of insulated contact arms projecting from posts at thesides of the track and provided with conductingl wires extending forwardand rearward, and connected with electro-magnets secured to other posts,and having pivoted armatures provided with hooked ends and springs toengage with signals pivoted to the said posts, whereby the passage of acurrent of electricity will withdraw the said armatures from the saidsignals, and allow the signals to swing down fro-1n a vertical to ahorizontal position, and from a horizontal to a vertical po'sition, asset forth.

5. In electric railway-signals, the combination, with the signals L L',provided with stops h z, of the cranks X X', the connecting-rod Y, theelbow-lever Z, the sliding bar a, having spring c, and inclined hingedbars d, and an arm, g, projecting from the train, substantially asherein shown and described, whereby a passing train will automaticallywithdraw the advance signal and display the rear signal upon eachsucceeding signal-pos-t, as set forth.

6. In electric railway-signals, the combination, withautomatically-operated visual daysignals, and means, substantially asdescribed, whereby the same are raised and lowered in front and behind apassing train, of an equal number of electric lamps of colorcorresponding to that of the day-signals, and pairs ofcontactarmscorresponding to said lamps, located in proximity to the said visualsignals, and

adapted to be separated by the displaying thereof, and thereby to directthe lighting-current to the lamp corresponding to the displayed signal.Y

7. In electric railway-signals, the combination, with the signals L L',the line-wire k, and the electric lamps m o, ofthe pairs ofinsulatedconducting-arms i j ij', and the wires 7c Z Z a a', substantially asherein shown and described, whereby the displaying of either of the saidsignals will send the electric current through the corresponding lamp,and thus give proper night-signals, as set forth.

` WVM. T. WATERS. Witnesses:

M. MOBURNEY, F. W. NAsH.

